BDK Parfums: A family attachment

Since it was launched in 2016, BDK Parfums has built a close working relationship with the composition house Mane. The collaboration has resulted in nine creations so far. Brand founder David Benedek was born into the world of fragrances: His grand- parents distributed Dior and Worth in Paris and all over France in the 1950s. “It’s a world I’ve been in love with since I was little, but I didn’t know I wanted to work in it. It was only when I lived in China then the USA that I realized how culturally influenced applying perfume can be, and the two sides of me, artistic and rational, led me into entrepreneurship,” he explains. After studying perfumery and cosmetics at the Institut Français de la Mode, he built up indept expertise in raw materials, which he honed at Cinquième Sens in Paris.

The emergence of the niche market

convinced him to launch his own brand: “I realized that you don’t have to be one of the big traditional houses to offer splendid fragrances, and I simply wanted to create an olfactory library where everyone can read their own story.” He then turned to a friend of his parents, Monique Ledunois, an evaluator then salesperson at Mane: “She opened the doors for me and let me conduct my first trials. I met the perfumers and developed a bond based on trust with them, what you could call family ties,” he says. The interactions are smooth and the freedom David provides is greatly appreciated. “David is very approachable and there’s lots of transparency between us,” under- lines Kevin Brillouet, Sales Manager and Project Leader at the composition house. “He knows our perfumers really well and likes talking to them about technique and formulation, which has built up trust on both sides. The freedom he gives us is rare and appreciable. He has a sense of aesthetics that means he can follow his heart, but he also makes sure he listens to the Mane teams. And the budgets and time allocated to the creative process are considerable. ” When he launched the brand, David Benedek was determined to propose creations that put beautiful ingredients center stage, whether as part of a collection dedicated to each ingredient or the “Parisienne” collection, with its more urban feel. Two additional ranges have been unveiled since then: “Exclusive” for Harrods of London – one of the first major department stores to distribute BDK Parfums – which combines two ingredients or facets; and a tribute to the Mediterranean, named “Azur,” which introduces freshness as a counterpoint to the house’s sensual, heady signature style. “Even in this collection, which is designed to be lighter, you can recognize the brand’s generosity,” notes Ines Gilioli, an evaluator at Mane. She’s the one who guides perfumers so their compositions correspond to the brief, serving as a “second nose” to add a layer of objectivity.

A role that involves real interaction

ensuring the brand can keep evolving. After the success of fragrances like Gris charnel extrait (named Best Niche Perfume 2023 by Fragrantica, and awarded the Perfume Extraordinaire prize by the Fragrance Foundation USA the same year), David Benedek is more convinced than ever that creative risk-taking is he way forward, as he explains: “Authenticity has always been a core value in my approach, but these days I go much further in embracing the element of surprise. I want to offer the market concepts that have an olfactory style that really is different.” His first store in Paris’s very chic Rue Saint-Honoré has also helped him make his mark: More than a sales outlet, it is also a cocoon where clients can discover the ingredients showcased in his creations, giving them the keys to building up their knowledge and introducing them to brand aesthetics.

We asked three questions to Mathilde Bijaoui, Mane :

How did you develop Gris charnel ?

We showed David Benedek a trial, which we sometimes do proactively, outside of a brief. I started with tonka bean, one of my favorite ingredients. He liked it a lot, but took the time to let the idea take root. He came back to us six months later and we set to work on the project, which he wanted to include in the “Parisienne” collection: I was inspired by the idea of a black-and-white photo of Paris; I love working with color shades. And tonka bean has two facets: It’s dark as well as creamy. I gave it texture with an enveloping iris, a milky sandalwood and black tea extract, which isn’t too smoky. Cardamom and fig top notes add some sparkle.

What aspect of the collaboration did you enjoy in particular?

The working relationship was very smooth: David has a strong sense of the aesthetics of his brand, which is useful in guiding perfumers without imposing choices on them, without trying to take their place. I recently realized that if I had needed to create a fragrance for myself, it would have been identical to Gris charnel. I’m just so happy it has met with success, to know people like it: I get the impression there’s a real coherence, an honesty, that is perceptible on the olfactory level. This first collaboration allowed us to build a relationship on trust.

How did the idea of creating an extract come about three years later?

It was David’s idea. And a real challenge: Since Gris charnel was already successful, the idea was to propose something else that differed from it enough to be pertinent while retaining the same identity. I struggled initially, but the discussions with David helped me find a path forward. I worked on the composition’s intensity with an almost animalic vanilla plus patchouli, which adds a lot of depth. I was delighted by the awards from Fragrantica and the Fragrance Foundation USA: BDK Parfums is a brand that’s all about passion and poetry, as illustrated by its olfactory choices, as well its aesthetic decisions, conveyed by communications and the bottles, which I find particularly attractive.